1. Technical Field
This invention relates to air fresheners and, more particularly, to a car freshener system for effectively discharging a scent within a vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Closed vehicles, such as cars, vans, utility vehicles, trucks, boats with closed cabins, and the like, present an environment for their occupants that in some circumstances can be unpleasant. For example, even with a good ventilating system a closed road vehicle driven in heavy traffic or in an area with significant air pollution can become stuffy and malodorous. Many individuals, moreover, are used to aroma therapy in a room setting and would benefit from having aroma therapy readily available in a vehicle. Vehicle occupants are also prone to drowsiness, which is, of course, very undesirable and dangerous in the case of the driver.
The use of devices which emit pleasant odors inside an automobile with the intention of masking the bad smells that may arise in a closed compartment is nothing new. For example, relatively uncomplicated devices supplied with solids which sublimate on contact with the atmosphere have been used for many years, both in cars and in houses and places of work. A heat released vehicular air freshener has also been introduced in the prior art that includes a power unit for being releasably received in electrical communication with a vehicular cigarette lighter. Also included is a fragrance mechanism mounted on the power unit for dispensing an aroma when actuated. An actuation assembly includes a timer mechanism for actuating the fragrance mechanism for a predetermined amount of time when actuated.
Unfortunately, neither of the previous examples provides the vehicle operator with effective control over the amount of fragrance being emitted. Furthermore, these fragrance emitting means are constantly releasing chemicals, thus causing the fragrance dispenser to quickly lose its scent releasing capability. Thus the vehicle owner must frequently replace the fragrance dispenser. Over time this can become a rather expensive practice.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,833 to Chen discloses a vehicle air freshener that includes a bottle holding a color fluid and a volatile liquid perfume floating on the color fluid, a socket fastened to the bottle neck of the bottle to hold an absorptive core member that dissipates the volatile liquid perfume into air outside the bottle, a weight-attached ornament set in the volatile liquid perfume and the color fluid, a base fastened to the bottom side of the bottle and adapted to support the vehicle air freshener on a surface, and a bottle cap fastened to the bottle neck of the bottle around the socket. The bottle cap has a center through hole which receives the bottleneck of the bottle, and a plurality of wire holes for mounting cord members. Unfortunately, this prior art example operates automatically without any input from a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,219 to Lin discloses a vehicle air-freshener that includes a holder base for mounting inside a motor vehicle, a container body mounted on the holder base and holding a perfume, the container body having a recessed top side wall, and a top center through hole formed through the lowest area of the recessed top side wall for enabling the smell of the perfume to escape out of the container body into the air, a control ball moved in the recessed top side wall of the container body to close/open the top center through hole, and a perforated cap covered on the container body to hold the control ball in the recessed top side wall of the container body. Unfortunately, this prior art example is automatic and not operable at the user's whim.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,723 to Bender discloses a vehicle air freshener that is quickly and easily installable and removable from an outlet grille of the vehicle ventilating system. The air freshener includes a tube filled with a fragrance saturated absorbent material. The tube has a sufficiently small diameter to pass through the typical opening in a vehicle interior ventilation outlet grille, and includes a thin, elongate extension and handle which is wider than the grille opening, to preclude passage of the handle through the grille opening. The air freshener is initially provided with one or more sealed scent passages, which are punctured or otherwise removed to allow the scent or fragrance to escape the interior of the air freshener and mix with the air. After opening the scent passage seal, the air freshener is inserted into the ventilation grille opening and is prevented from falling into the ductwork of the ventilation system by the handle which is caught on the outside of the grille, thereby substantially concealing the air freshener. Any air flowing through the ventilation system will absorb the fragrance escaping from the opened scent passage and pass into the vehicle interior. The air freshener may be easily removed when the scent is depleted or no longer desired, by grasping the handle and withdrawing the air freshener from the duct and grille opening. At least the handle portion may be provided in different colors to closely match the colors of various ventilation grilles, in order to provide an unobtrusive appearance. Unfortunately, this prior art example this prior art example operates automatically without any input from a user.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The car freshener system is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for effectively discharging a scent within a vehicle. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.